Finger Lakes IPA, Inc.

The Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) program and other payment reform initiatives have shifted New York State’s health care landscape toward value-based payment models and increased market consolidation.

These shifts have spurred federally qualified health centers and other safety-net providers to implement strategies to remain financially sustainable and continue delivering care to medically underserved areas. Independent Practice Associations (IPAs), private networks formed by groups of providers, have emerged as a way to negotiate value-based contracts with payers and maximize new reimbursement models. In 2017, NYHealth supported the formation of the Upstate Community Health Collaborative (UCHC) IPA, which serves 100,000 patients in a 6-county area of Central New York. The Finger Lakes Independent Practice Association (FLIPA), located in the Finger Lakes and Western New York regions, was the first IPA in New York State committed to integrating primary care, behavioral health, and social service providers. FLIPA and UCHC have determined that merging into one IPA would better serve more than 200,000 patients with integrated primary care, behavioral health care, and social services, as well as allow them to negotiate together for value-based contracts with managed care organizations. In 2022, NYHealth awarded FLIPA a grant to support its work to operationalize this expansion, bringing together 18 organizations spanning 19 counties in New York State.

Under this grant, FLIPA will assess and finalize new corporate and governance structures for the combined entity. As needed, it will restructure other systems such as accounting, contracting, and other technology platforms. FLIPA will assess existing managed care contracts and agreements to integrate UCHC providers. FLIPA will also execute new data-sharing agreements to collectively manage and coordinate patient care across all networks. New providers will use shared clinical protocols to access FLIPA’s population health management data platform to improve care coordination. Finally, FLIPA will develop a business plan for its growth as a combined entity. With its expanded number of providers, FLIPA will pursue more joint value-based contracts with Medicaid, Medicare, and commercial payers.